Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),


I am appealing to drop ENIN 140 (Winter, 2022), taught by Shari Hughson and FILM 240 (Winter, 2022), taught by Philippe Gauthier, past the academic deadline. Heavily restricted access to the internet and the passing of both of my grandmothers impacted my ability to participate in and complete these courses.


On January 25th, my grandmother on my mother's side fell ill and was taken to the ICU in Iran. My family and I bought our plane tickets to Iran for February 1st. I spent the week leading up to the flight driving to New Brunswick and helping my mother move her belongings into a storage unit. I spent the first three weeks of February in Iran trying different combinations of Wi-Fi routers and VPNs but could not finish any schoolwork.


Toward the end of February 2022, my father's mother contracted Covid-19 and died on April 15th. Additionally, My mother's mother died on March 4th, and we held her funeral on March 16th. I obtained the death certificate of my father's mother as evidence. I couldn't do the same for my mother's mother. Alternatively, I have video evidence of her funeral which I will not be submitting unless specifically asked to do so.


The Winter 2022 semester was undoubtedly the most challenging time for me. My father had suffered four brain strokes, two of which occurred during my academic career at Queen's. Even so, I have always pushed through to the end. I tried applying the same mindset to my circumstances that semester, but it was a hardship I had never experienced. I was the only able-bodied person in my immediate family that was fit to support my parents during those times, and it was overwhelming. Though I waited long after the date to drop these courses without penalty, I eventually realized it was not realistic for me to continue my studies if I wanted to succeed.


To clarify, internet access was not an issue when I visited Iran three years prior, but the government had heavily limited internet access during this time. The revolution that started after my departure reflects the unexpected and poor academic conditions I dealt with. I loved my time at Queen's and feel accomplished to have enough credits to graduate. However, I want to end my University career without a tainted transcript, and I hope you can help get me there. Thank you for allowing me to explain my situation.


Sincerely,


Darya Darvish